


Always

by ChocolateAndRedbull



Series: Taking Care [2]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Arthritis, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Gen, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Tony Stark, Sick Peter, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25051312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateAndRedbull/pseuds/ChocolateAndRedbull
Summary: When Tony is working late in the lab he wants to ignore his AI telling him that Natasha needs him.Until he hears that she’s with the kid.OrPeter Parker is great at handling pain.Most of the time.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Peter Parker, Clint Barton & Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Taking Care [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814362
Comments: 6
Kudos: 279





	Always

“Boss? Miss Romanoff is asking for your assistance upstairs,” Friday’s voice rang out over the lab.

Tony glanced up at the clock in confusion.

“At 2:45 in the morning? What does she want?” he said, turning back to his desk.

“She’s with Mr Parker, boss.”

Tony froze.

That got his attention.

Tony dropped his screwdriver and moved to the sink to wash his hands.

He was trying to stay calm but couldn’t help the hundreds of worries that ran through his head. Was the kid hurt? He couldn’t be, he wasn’t patrolling tonight. Tony had sent him to bed four hours ago. Had he made it? Had something happened?

Tony rushed out of the elevator as soon as the doors would let him to find Natasha sitting on the sofa with the kid curled up a shaky ball with his head in her lap.

He moved towards the pair only to fall in step with Clint who was making his way back from the kitchen, a hot water bottle in his hands.

Everything clicked into place when Tony saw Natasha carding her fingers through the kid’s hair and took note of the boy’s hands bound in his white elastic support bands, which were clutched stiffly to his chest.

“How long has he been like this?” Tony asked, voice hushed as he took the heating device and moved towards the kid.

“Nat found him down here an hour ago, says his bed was hurting his back,” Clint replied, taking a step back and letting Tony approach the pair.

Tony winced sympathetically. He knew that when the kid’s arthritis flared up, any position he was in too long began to hurt.

“Buddy?” Tony asked quietly, cupping the kid’s cheek.

“Mr Stark?” he breathed, squinting his eyes open.

“Hey, kiddo,” Tony smiled kindly, “where do you want this?” he asked, holding up the hot water bottle.

Peter stuck his hands out and clutched it to his chest, lying his hands as flat as he could muster on the surface.

Tony gave him a smile, “You tried the hot shower? Painkillers?”

Peter just breathed slowly, giving a tiny nod.

Tony ran his thumb over the kid’s cheek before standing up, giving a small groan as his own joints ached from old age.

“Barton? There’s a grey box in Peter’s closet, any chance you could fetch it for us?” Tony said, a desperate look in his eyes. Clint nodded and headed towards the elevator as Tony turned to Natasha. He was about to ask her to make the kid a cup of hot tea but as soon as her hand stilled from where it had been gently playing with his hair the kid let out a breathy whine, eyes screwed shut as he tried to hold the hot water bottle in place and get as much of his hands on the surface as possible. Natasha immediately resumed her actions, shooting Tony an apologetic smile.

Tony just nodded fondly before heading towards the kitchen. 

As Tony stepped out of the kitchen he felt a flash of deja vu as he once again fell into step with Clint as he lugged the box out of the elevator. Tony nodded his thanks and moved towards the kid once more.

“Hey, Peter? I’ve got you some tea.”

Peter thought for a moment, deciding whether it was worth the pain of sitting up before eventually he shifted, Natasha helping him into a sitting position.

“Thanks,” he breathed, wincing as he curled his legs up underneath him.

Tony rubbed a hand across the kid’s shoulders. “When did this start, buddy?”

“Um, it’s been kinda hurting for a few days now, wasn’t really bad until I was going to bed. All I’ve gotta do now is wait it out,” he mumbled. Tony smiled sympathetically.

“How about I put on a movie and we try to relax a bit?” he suggested, riffling through the box and pulling out a heating pad and some muscle rub. “Brace yourselves, this shit stinks,” he said with a breathy laugh as both Clint and Natasha recoiled at the open tube.

Clint turned on the tv and settled in on the large armchair, putting his hood up as he flicked through the movie options.

Peter glanced over to him, “You guys, uh, don’t have to stay, it’s not that bad, really.”

Natasha took the mug from the kid as Tony gently coaxed the elastic support bands off of his hands and began to massage the muscle rub into them.

“Hey, we’re always up for a movie night, right, Clint?” Natasha said, trying not to crinkle her nose at the smell.

“Sure are,” he answered encouragingly, winking at the kid.

Peter just smiled softly, wincing as one of his knuckles cracked under Tony’s fingers.

“Alright, buddy,” Tony said as he slid the support bands back over the kid’s hands, “anything else you need before we start?”

Peter just shook his head as he took the mug from Natasha with a nodding thanks. Tony smiled and sat down beside the kid, wishing he could wrap his arms around him and take the pain for himself.

“Okay then, Barton, lets get this show on the road,” Tony announced.

* * *

Morning came and Natasha awoke like clockwork. 

She blinked and stretched before frowning at the teenager laid flat on his stomach on the floor, head turned away from her. She moved to rub a comforting hand across his shoulders when she was stopped by a quiet ‘don’t’.

Natasha froze from where her fingertips were just brushing the kid’s hoodie. She turned her head to see Tony sat in the same position he had been last night, looking like he hadn’t slept.

“Don’t touch him,” Tony started again, “it, uh, not until he says you can. It can hurt.”

Natasha sat back against the couch, “You know a lot about it, I guess.”

Tony sighed, “I know the kid.”

Natasha’s eyes then slipped over to where Clint was curled up in the armchair, breathing softly.

“It’s hard,” she began, “seeing a kid so young, be in so much pain.”

Tony rubbed a hand across his face. “This wasn’t even a bad one. I-I’ve seen him throw up from the sheer pain. I’ve seen him hurt so much that he doesn’t even have the breath to cry.”

Natasha winced sympathetically as she watched the kid’s shoulders rise and fall in sleep.

“But what gets me,” he spat, “is that he’s used to it. Like he doesn’t try to fight it anymore, he just sits down and takes the pain because he knows he can’t win.”

Tony huffed a breath, “I’ve seen him get stabbed and still fight for hours. I’ve fished bullets out of him, I’ve given him stitches with no anaesthetic and set his broken bones with duct tape and a tree branch.” He slowly shifted before he stood up. “And nothing ever compares to when those elastic bands come out, and he gets real quiet and, and he just _hurts_. For hours, _days_ on end and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

Tony kept his eyes trained on the kid before tearing them away to look towards the kitchen.

“I’m putting on some coffee and heading to the lab. He should sleep for another few hours at least. Friday? Let me know when he wakes up.”

And with that Tony was gone.

* * *

Natasha watched the kid as he shifted on the floor in front of her. 

She kept her eyes on him as he rolled his shoulders and wrists before pushing himself up onto his knees with confused eyes.

“Relax, sweetie, you’re okay.”

Peter turned to her as realisation dawned on him. “Oh, um, hi.”

“Hi,” she smiled. “You feeling any better?”

“Um, yeah, or, at least, I will be soon,” he rubbed a hand across his eyes. “I need a hot shower,” he sighed. “Like, so hot it hurts. And then I need to stretch. That’s gonna take a while,” he mumbled.

“Well, how about you go take that shower and then meet me in the gym?” Natasha suggested. “Might be better than doing it on your own? Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t...” she trailed off.

Peter seemed to think about the offer. “Uh, yeah, actually, that sounds pretty good. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Of course not, it’ll be interesting,” she smiled. “Go ahead and get ready, I’ll meet you there.”

Peter smiled and carefully pushed himself up onto his feet with a grunt. “Thanks, Nat, for- for everything.”

“Any time, sweetie,” she said softly. Peter was about to leave when Tony appeared in the doorway. “You good, buddy?”

“Yeah.” Peter smiled, as if last night hadn’t happened, “Always,” and headed for the door.


End file.
